


That you vanished.

by mugongeki



Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Gen, no beta we die like gold saints
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:00:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25663246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mugongeki/pseuds/mugongeki
Summary: “Everything comes to an end, Shion. You said it yourself.” Saga whispered, for the last time catching on his hand for comfort. It was still warm, fingers bearing the same callouses, the skin rough.His childhood was good and peaceful, even though the thought of incoming war has been imprinted within his head since he could remember. He knew he would recall it fondly. He knew he would lead the Sanctuary to its glory.
Kudos: 10
Collections: SAINT SEIYA WEEK 2020





	That you vanished.

**Author's Note:**

> Work written for the first day of SAINT SEIYA WEEK 2020
> 
> Day 1: Childhood, nostalgia, hanahaki disease
> 
> _
> 
> I wrote it in two hours and published, don't mind me.

_He spun the dagger in his hand. It still had a fresh blood on it, when he brought it to his nose he could smell metal. He was holding it strongly, even though his right hand was shaking a little. He didn’t yet have a courage to look down on the lifeless body by his feet._

_It was middle of the night, and Saga was well aware Grand Pope was not going to be needed until the early morning, when it is time to wander around the Sanctuary, greet the saints, give away some tasks and then focus on his own job._

_He knew this schedule by heart, because that man raised him and Saga always liked to stay by his side when he did all that - described by Kanon - boring things. They fascinated him. Shion’s knowledge fascinated him, his gentleness fascinated him. Saga wanted to be as good as him, or even better. He wanted to be a man on tongues of everyone, admired by them, feared, respected._

_He wanted to be many things, and here he was, a murderer._

“I want to become a powerful saint.” he swayed on Shion’s lap so badly that the man had to put a hand on Saga’s back, so the boy wouldn’t fall. Saga heard a warm laughter; that laughter accompanied him always. It comforted him when he did something silly, not fitting a saint. It made him smile. It stopped his tears. 

Shion’s laughter was his earliest memory, as much as his big, gentle hands. Despite their roughness, Shion’s touch was always tender and loving. Like he wanted to protect them. Like he mourned their lives before they even began. 

“Me too! Me too!” Kanon almost yelled to his ear as he flopped with his head down on Shion’s lap. Saga saw big hand going to ruffle his brother’s hair and leaned in for a similar touch. 

It was rare to have Shion all for themselves during the day, he always had many visitors, he had to give orders to many, many people, and then he tried to balance between paperwork and repairing cloths. Saga and Kanon always sneaked into his room, sometimes hiding under his desk, taking their afternoon nap there, other times playing in the corner of it, their attempts of being quiet usually ruined by how much they scolded each other. 

They had many nannies, but no one provided them with love equal to Shion’s. 

“You two will become the most powerful men in the history, I am sure.” both twins squeaked at the sudden tickles they received. Shion’s room was filled with their happy laughter until the very late hours that day.

Saga and Kanon grew up in the Sanctuary, so naturally they knew it by heart. There was not a place nor a corner they wasn’t familiar with. They messed around a lot, causing headache to Shion. They pulled pranks on the guards, caused ruckus, screamed. But Saga always reminded himself that time with nostalgy, like… Like he wanted to return to it. Like he wanted once more to be the same, chubby child with mischievous eyes and twin brother always ready to catch him if he failed.

His childhood was filled with soft memories and laughter. 

Saga didn’t feel like he had many responsibilities, even though he has been taught various things before he could even walk properly. He starved for more, always. When he finally learned how to read he devoured books one by one, often falling asleep by his desk. The next day, he always woke up tucked in in his bed, with his last read page marked; he knew Shion did that. 

He learned etiquette and practiced fighting constantly, impatiently waiting for the day to be bigger, stronger. 

“When I am big, you won’t need to work this hard anymore!” he chirped to Shion that rubbed his temple, suffering from a headache, pile of documents growing bigger instead of smaller that day. Saga, age of 5, sat on his desk the whole day then, watching how smoothly these calloused and rough hands calligraphed reports or letters. How much he wanted his own writing to be equally beautiful! How much he wanted to be older and stronger!

Shion laughed quietly then and gently patted Saga’s small leg that he has been waving in a childish way.

“Work hard, and I will be proud to see you taking my place.” he told him then, and Saga remembered he puffed his cheeks, sliding down to settle on Shion’s lap and hug his chest. His arms were small but strong, his lips often curled up in a kind, gentle smile. Sometimes when people saw him they said how much this smile reminded them of little Shion. Saga always blushed, hiding behind his Master’s long, soft robes. 

“I won’t take your place! I will be your closest assistant! I will help you with this boring paperwork so you can focus on repairing cloths and playing with me and Kanon!” another wave of laughter came to Saga’s ear and a big hand landed on his hair. He nuzzled into Shion’s stomach. 

“You and Kanon already are my closest assistants.” he heard Shion saying, before he drifted into sweet, afternoon slumber.

Shion’s arms were always his favorite and he couldn’t remember if he ever felt differently about them. That man, despite being a Grand Pope, raised him and his brother. That man always had time for them. That man taught them loyalty, etiquette, justice. 

Unconsciously and for many years, Saga searched for Shion’s comfort. He was a timid, shy boy, comparing to Kanon that quickly befriended guards and women allowed to know his existence. Kanon never stayed in one place, looking for adventures and often kicking himself in the troubles. He often angered people in the village pulling pranks of them, but he often gave them a helping hand if needed, too.

Comparing to Kanon, Saga preferred Sanctuary’s peace and quietness. He liked sitting on the windowsill in Shion’s room, watching day slowly going by and sky turning its colors. He liked listening to the soft rustle of fabric when Shion moved on his chair, or a tapping noise of tools when he repaired armors. Sometimes when he worked for too long, Saga woke up in the middle of the night still on his lap, Shion asleep by the desk. He always pulled the blanket, then, to cover them both, and spend the rest of the night curled up in the very same spot, listening to his soft breathing. This habit went away when Saga was about 10, but years and years later he still walked into Shion’s room without knocking when he noticed the candle light despite the late hour to cover him with the same blanket. 

Kanon always mockingly called him papa’s boy, but Saga not even once went upset. He knew that, technically, Shion wasn’t their father, but it didn’t matter. Shion treated them like sons, and Saga treated him like a parental figure. 

But Shion was just a human. He had limitations, rules restricting him, worse days, weaknesses. Saga was much older when he realized that, grown so much his head was almost on Shion’s shoulder level.

The realization came for the first time when he got Gemini cloth. He didn’t recall much from it, the only clear memory of his brother’s disappointed gaze and Shion’s, serious but sorrowful. He talked to Kanon for endless hours that day, locked in his office, but Saga never learned what all these conversations has been about. He didn’t dare to ask Kanon, that stormed out of the room with his head held high, neither Shion that seemed strangely pale that day.

Maybe if Kanon got Gemini cloth before him, everything could have been avoided. Maybe if Shion made a different decision… But fate was cruel, written in the stars and sometimes, impossible to change.

_“I’m sorry.” he whispered, kneeling down next to the corpse. Shion laid as he had fallen, on his right side, face hidden against the crook of his own elbow. Saga slowly moved his hair aside, peeking to uncover Shion’s face. To look at it for the last time._

_Regrets filled his heart, but Saga quickly shook his head. Shion was old and unable to lead the Sanctuary anymore. No one but Saga could replace him. No one but Saga was powerful enough, wise enough. He pretended it calmed his doubts._

_Saga expected to see Shion in pain, but when his eyes finally landed on his face, he had to held his breathing. Shion looked like he was asleep. His features were soft, almost relieved. As if he couldn’t wait to finally end this over 200 years old existence. As if he couldn’t wait to reunite with his loved ones._

_He screamed and pulled back when there was a hand reaching out towards him, but after blinking rapidly Saga realized it was just a hallucination. Shion was dead and motionless._

“Master! Kanon is saying I’m evil!” two seven years old stormed into Shion’s room, guard following right behind them.

“I am sorry, Grand Pope, I tried to stop them, but--”

“It’s okay. They are allowed.” Shion waved him away with his hand and the guard left, bowing deeply. He moved from his chair to crouch down next to the bickering boys.

“You are! You hit me!”

“We were training!”

Shion hushed them by putting hands on their heads. Both boys were pouting by now, looking at him like at a savior, waiting for Shion to confirm which of them was right and which wasn’t.

“What is evil? What is not?” Shion asked them instead and sat on the ground with his legs crossed. They look it as invitation and soon, his lap were fully occupied. 

“Evil is someone who doesn’t help others!”

“Uses bad words!”

“Kill!”

“Argue!”

“Do bad things!”

The answers kept on rising, one louder from the other. Shion smiled. He refused to believe any of them was evil. Maybe fate of Geminis was to be changed during this era.

_“Everything comes to an end, Shion. You said it yourself.” Saga whispered, for the last time catching on his hand for comfort. It was still warm, fingers bearing the same callouses, the skin rough._

_His childhood was good and peaceful, even though the thought of incoming war has been imprinted within his head since he could remember. He knew he would recall it fondly. He knew he would lead the Sanctuary to its glory._

_Evil within him laughed._


End file.
